E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 No. 150 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was BRAND, a Senator from the State of New leader gave his maiden speech on the called to order by the Honorable York, to perform the duties of the Chair. Senate floor. His first floor speech here KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from DANIEL K. INOUYE, in the Senate was about the challenges the State of New York. President pro tempore. faced each day—even in this the richest Mrs. GILLIBRAND thereupon assumed of nations—by people just like Robert PRAYER the chair as Acting President pro tem- Dole, people with disabilities. That is The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- pore. what he spoke about. He described the fered the following prayer: f discrimination disabled Americans Let us pray. faced as ‘‘maybe not exclusion from the RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY front of the bus, but perhaps from even Father of all, out of the noisy world, LEADER we come to this quiet place of prayer. climbing aboard it.’’ We depend on Your goodness, Your The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Over the next 27 years of his Senate mercy and grace. pore. The majority leader is recog- career, including 11 years as majority As our lawmakers face the challenges nized. leader, and throughout his years in the of their calling, inspire them to have a f private sector, Bob Dole would remain mature faith in Your providential lead- a vocal advocate for Americans with ing. Lord, fill them with Your spirit so NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- disabilities. Since Senator Dole fought that they will acknowledge their de- TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR for passage of the Americans With Dis- pendence on You for every breath they 2013—MOTION TO PROCEED—Re- abilities Act in 1990, barriers have been breathe and every creative thought sumed lifted, helping people with disabilities they think. May today be for them a Mr. REID. Madam President, I now in this country live the full and pro- building block for making America a move to proceed to Calendar No. 419, ductive life they want and deserve. nation that glorifies You. the DOD authorization bill. There is no finer example of the ex- We pray in Your great Name. Amen. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- traordinary goals Americans can pore. The clerk will report. achieve in spite of their disabilities f The legislative clerk read as follows: than Bob Dole’s inspiring career. In my mind’s eye, I can see Senator Dole on PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Motion to proceed to the bill (S. 3254) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 the Senate floor standing straight and The Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- for military activities of the Department of tall, slim, and articulate—as I indi- BRAND led the Pledge of Allegiance, as Defense, for military construction, and for cated yesterday, always with some- follows: defense activities of the Department of En- thing funny to say. But what people did I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the ergy, to prescribe military personnel not notice was that one of his arms was United States of America, and to the Repub- strengths for such fiscal year, and for other inoperative. He always kept a pen in purposes. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, that hand so people would not grab his indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. SCHEDULE hand or something like that. But it Mr. REID. Madam President, the f was distinctive. That was the distinc- first hour will be equally divided and tive Robert Dole. He was such a force controlled between the two leaders or APPOINTMENT OF ACTING here in the Senate, and to think that their designees, with the majority con- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE he did it all after having been really trolling the first half and the Repub- blown up in a war. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The licans controlling the final half. We ex- The United States has been a leader clerk will please read a communication pect to begin consideration of the DOD in expanding disability rights across to the Senate from the President pro authorization bill today. the globe. U.S. law has been the gold tempore (Mr. INOUYE). DISABILITIES CONVENTION standard for the rest of the world. But The legislative clerk read the fol- On April 14, 1945, a very young Robert the United States must continue to lowing letter: Dole lay gravely wounded in the mud lead by example and must do more to U.S. SENATE, of a war-torn Italian hillside. He had protect American citizens traveling PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, been hit with shrapnel which tore and working abroad. Washington, DC, November 28, 2012. To the Senate: through his shoulder and his spine. But The disabilities convention before Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, 24 years later, after years spent re- the Senate today—a treaty ratified by of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby building his body and building a polit- 125 nations—would advance those appoint the Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- ical career, the future Senate majority goals. This convention would give us ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6985 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:37 Feb 08, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD12\NOVEMBER\S28NO2.REC S28NO2 mmaher on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S6986 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 28, 2012 an opportunity to strengthen our lead- This has been my message for weeks. I lions of older, lower income, and dis- ership on disability rights around the reiterated it on Monday. I repeat it abled Americans. We want to make world. It is another step toward ensur- today. sure they remain viable not only for ing that all people with disabilities in There are some important points to today’s seniors but for their children any country are treated with dignity keep in mind as well. Yesterday I came and their grandchildren and that they and given the right to achieve to their to the floor to remind folks that we did do not consume so large a share of Fed- full potential. not get here by accident. The only rea- eral spending that we do not have the Ratification of this treaty will not son we are even facing these twin cri- money to pay for other necessities. cost the U.S. taxpayers a single dime. ses right now is because Democrats Here are the facts, just the facts. It will not require any changes in our have spent taxpayer money with total Longer lifespans and Federal spending existing law. It has the support of vet- abandon over the past 4 years and done patterns threaten the viability of all of erans groups and disability groups nothing to address the main drivers of these programs as well as the economic around the country. It has the strong the debt. well-being of our country and our chil- backing of a bipartisan group of Sen- Our Democratic friends like to say dren. Think about it. The number of ators and leading Republicans such as we cannot simply cut our way to pros- Americans over the age of 65 will in- George H.W. Bush as well as Senator perity. Well, leaving aside for a mo- crease from 40 million in 2010 to 54 mil- Dole. He called me a few days ago to ment the fact that no one is actually lion at the end of this decade and then tell me how much he wanted this proposing we do that, we cannot spend 72 million a decade after that. Ameri- passed. our way to prosperity either. That is cans are living longer, more productive Like passing the Americans With exactly what Democrats have been try- lives. That is great and a testament to Disabilities Act, ratifying the treaty is ing to do for 4 years. We have been try- modern health care here in the United the right thing to do. Ralph Waldo ing to spend our way to prosperity. It States, but it creates obvious chal- Emerson wrote, ‘‘If you would lift me has not worked yet and is not likely to lenges for which we need to prepare. up you must be on higher ground.’’ If work in the future. We cannot just let seniors age into the United States wishes to be a global This is not complicated. We are not promises that can no longer pay prom- example for the huge strides people in this mess because Washington taxes ised benefits. It is not right. Yet al- with disabilities can make when bar- too little, we are in this mess because ready Medicare and Social Security are riers to succeed are removed, we must Washington spends too much. The both paying out more benefits than take the high ground. American people know that. And we they take in from taxes. Medicare and I thank Senator KERRY, the chair- are not going to get out of it until Social Security are paying out more man of the Foreign Relations Com- Democrats get serious about real benefits than they take in from taxes mittee, Senators McCAIN, LUGAR, DUR- spending cuts and meaningful entitle- now—not some other day, now. BIN, BARRASSO, COONS, TOM UDALL, ment changes. So this morning I would The problem is particularly urgent in MORAN, and others, and especially Sen- like to speak in a little more detail Medicare, which paid out nearly $30 bil- ator HARKIN, who is the father of the about why it is that we need to lion more than it took in last year and Americans With Disabilities Act, lead- strengthen and protect these entitle- which is on the road to bankruptcy in ing the way on this issue.